Red Cross Celebrates Volunteers during National Volunteer Week

During National Volunteer Week, April 6 - 12, the American Red Cross celebrates the extraordinary contributions of its hundreds of thousands of volunteers who deliver Red Cross services 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

“Our volunteers deliver every aspect of our mission, from responding to house fires in the middle of the night, to teaching life-saving First-Aid and CPR, to supporting blood drives,” said Jim Starr, Vice President of Volunteer Management for the Red Cross. “They are the essence of the Red Cross and we are grateful for their generous spirit and service to others.”

On average, the Red Cross has about 14 volunteers for every one employee. This extraordinary donation of time and talent is further evidence of the tremendous value and impact volunteers hold for nonprofits such as the Red Cross.

With the support of its volunteers, the Red Cross turns compassion into action. In fiscal year 2013, Red Cross volunteers helped respond to nearly 70,000 disasters; trained more than 6.5 million people in Red Cross lifesaving skills; collected approximately 5.7 million units of blood from roughly 3.3 million volunteer blood donors; provided nearly 400,000 services to military members, veterans and their families; and reconnected nearly 1,000 families separated by war or disaster around the world.

The Red Cross invites the public to be a part of the lifesaving work it does and to sign up to volunteer and to donate blood. The Red Cross needs diverse volunteers of all ages and skill levels. People can go to redcross.org to learn more about volunteer opportunities and how to submit a volunteer application. To schedule an appointment to donate blood, people should visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS.

People who are not ready to commit to being a volunteer but want to help out when a disaster strikes their community should download the Team Red Cross app. Through the app, people can sign up to help, get an overview on basic tasks and receive notifications about Red Cross volunteer opportunities in their community.

The Team Red Cross App can be found in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store by searching for American Red Cross or by going to redcross.org/mobileapps.

Contact: Public Affairs Desk, Telephone: (202) 303-5551, FOR MEDIA ONLY

About the American Red Cross:The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.